diff --git a/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/config/default_settings.xml b/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/config/default_settings.xml
index 67d8b9c81a..7694941487 100644
--- a/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/config/default_settings.xml
+++ b/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/config/default_settings.xml
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
     <setting id="SAMBA_SECURITY" value="false" />
     <setting id="SAMBA_USERNAME" value="openelec" />
     <setting id="SAMBA_PASSWORD" value="openelec" />
+    <setting id="CROND_START" value="false" />
     <setting id="UPDATE_AUTO" value="manual" />
     <setting id="X11_KEYMAP" value="us" />
     <setting id="X11_KEYMAP2" value="-none-" />
diff --git a/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/source/resources/language/English/strings.xml b/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/source/resources/language/English/strings.xml
index 2b5b78f4b8..b083744f13 100644
--- a/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/source/resources/language/English/strings.xml
+++ b/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/source/resources/language/English/strings.xml
@@ -46,4 +46,8 @@
 	<string id="5020">SSH</string>
 	<string id="5021">Start ssh server at boot</string>
 	<string id="5022">Disable password authentication</string>
+
+	<string id="5030">crond</string>
+	<string id="5031">Start cron daemon at boot</string>
+
 </strings>
diff --git a/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/source/resources/settings.xml b/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/source/resources/settings.xml
index dff77a8eee..ec117f030e 100644
--- a/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/source/resources/settings.xml
+++ b/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/source/resources/settings.xml
@@ -78,5 +78,8 @@
 		<setting type="sep" />
 		<setting id="SSHD_START" type="bool" label="5021" default="false" />
 		<setting id="SSHD_DISABLE_PW_AUTH" type="bool" label="5022" default="false" visible="eq(-1,true)"/>
+		<setting label="5030" type="lsep"/>
+		<setting type="sep" />
+		<setting id="CROND_START" type="bool" label="5031" default="false" />
     </category>
 </settings>
diff --git a/packages/sysutils/busybox/init.d.optional/09_crond b/packages/sysutils/busybox/init.d.optional/09_crond
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6f5bb573f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/sysutils/busybox/init.d.optional/09_crond
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+################################################################################
+#      This file is part of OpenELEC - http://www.openelec.tv
+#      Copyright (C) 2009-2012 Stephan Raue (stephan@openelec.tv)
+#
+#  This Program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+#  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+#  the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
+#  any later version.
+#
+#  This Program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+#  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+#  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+#  GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+#  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+#  along with OpenELEC.tv; see the file COPYING.  If not, write to
+#  the Free Software Foundation, 51 Franklin Street, Suite 500, Boston, MA 02110, USA.
+#  http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html
+################################################################################
+
+#
+# start syslog daemon
+#
+# runlevels: openelec, installer, textmode
+
+(
+
+  if [ -f /var/config/settings.conf ]; then
+    . /var/config/settings.conf
+  fi
+
+  if [ "$CROND_START" == "true" ]; then
+    progress "Starting cront daemon"
+    if [ ! -d "/storage/.cache/cron/crontabs" ] ; then
+      mkdir -p /storage/.cache/cron/crontabs
+    fi
+    crond -b
+  fi
+
+)&
diff --git a/packages/sysutils/busybox/install b/packages/sysutils/busybox/install
index 135928b0b7..37f376de70 100755
--- a/packages/sysutils/busybox/install
+++ b/packages/sysutils/busybox/install
@@ -68,3 +68,12 @@ USER_PWD="`$ROOT/$TOOLCHAIN/bin/cryptpw -m sha512 $USER_PASSWORD`"
 
     mkdir -p $INSTALL/usr/www/error
       echo "404" > $INSTALL/usr/www/error/404.html
+
+  # cron support
+    if [ "$CRON_SUPPORT" = "yes" ] ; then
+      mkdir -p $INSTALL/etc/init.d
+      cp $PKG_DIR/init.d.optional/09_crond $INSTALL/etc/init.d/
+    else
+      rm -f $INSTALL/sbin/crond
+      rm -f $INSTALL/bin/crontab
+    fi
diff --git a/projects/ATV/options b/projects/ATV/options
index defd4d1ef6..2207844b46 100755
--- a/projects/ATV/options
+++ b/projects/ATV/options
@@ -330,6 +330,9 @@
 # build and install nano text editor (yes / no)
   NANO_EDITOR="yes"
 
+# cron support (yes / no)
+  CRON_SUPPORT="yes"
+
 # Coreboot support (yes / no)
   COREBOOT="no"
 
diff --git a/projects/Fusion/options b/projects/Fusion/options
index c8e6438fb9..c1f4fc7609 100755
--- a/projects/Fusion/options
+++ b/projects/Fusion/options
@@ -329,6 +329,9 @@
 # build and install nano text editor (yes / no)
   NANO_EDITOR="yes"
 
+# cron support (yes / no)
+  CRON_SUPPORT="yes"
+
 # Coreboot support (yes / no)
   COREBOOT="no"
 
diff --git a/projects/Generic/options b/projects/Generic/options
index c8485db8a8..8ae8c8e38c 100755
--- a/projects/Generic/options
+++ b/projects/Generic/options
@@ -329,6 +329,9 @@
 # build and install nano text editor (yes / no)
   NANO_EDITOR="yes"
 
+# cron support (yes / no)
+  CRON_SUPPORT="yes"
+
 # Coreboot support (yes / no)
   COREBOOT="no"
 
diff --git a/projects/Generic_OSS/options b/projects/Generic_OSS/options
index a33339f4fc..558fba5607 100755
--- a/projects/Generic_OSS/options
+++ b/projects/Generic_OSS/options
@@ -329,6 +329,9 @@
 # build and install nano text editor (yes / no)
   NANO_EDITOR="yes"
 
+# cron support (yes / no)
+  CRON_SUPPORT="yes"
+
 # Coreboot support (yes / no)
   COREBOOT="no"
 
diff --git a/projects/ION/options b/projects/ION/options
index e98fcb3151..bc4f0d5a73 100755
--- a/projects/ION/options
+++ b/projects/ION/options
@@ -329,6 +329,9 @@
 # build and install nano text editor (yes / no)
   NANO_EDITOR="yes"
 
+# cron support (yes / no)
+  CRON_SUPPORT="yes"
+
 # Coreboot support (yes / no)
   COREBOOT="no"
 
diff --git a/projects/Intel/options b/projects/Intel/options
index 6df76b5a8d..725f470d8f 100755
--- a/projects/Intel/options
+++ b/projects/Intel/options
@@ -329,6 +329,9 @@
 # build and install nano text editor (yes / no)
   NANO_EDITOR="yes"
 
+# cron support (yes / no)
+  CRON_SUPPORT="yes"
+
 # Coreboot support (yes / no)
   COREBOOT="no"
 
diff --git a/projects/RPi/options b/projects/RPi/options
index 30bbec3559..d74ede72a4 100755
--- a/projects/RPi/options
+++ b/projects/RPi/options
@@ -329,6 +329,9 @@
 # build and install nano text editor (yes / no)
   NANO_EDITOR="yes"
 
+# cron support (yes / no)
+  CRON_SUPPORT="yes"
+
 # Coreboot support (yes / no)
   COREBOOT="no"
 
diff --git a/projects/Ultra/options b/projects/Ultra/options
index 9b56844c06..fccf6f61ec 100755
--- a/projects/Ultra/options
+++ b/projects/Ultra/options
@@ -329,6 +329,9 @@
 # build and install nano text editor (yes / no)
   NANO_EDITOR="yes"
 
+# cron support (yes / no)
+  CRON_SUPPORT="yes"
+
 # Coreboot support (yes / no)
   COREBOOT="no"
 
diff --git a/projects/Virtual/options b/projects/Virtual/options
index f94a18ba91..e3c6238c9b 100755
--- a/projects/Virtual/options
+++ b/projects/Virtual/options
@@ -324,6 +324,9 @@
 # build and install nano text editor (yes / no)
   NANO_EDITOR="yes"
 
+# cron support (yes / no)
+  CRON_SUPPORT="yes"
+
 # Coreboot support (yes / no)
   COREBOOT="no"